I received an email today informing me that the Tinklenberg Blog will be running a week long series highlighting his vision to combat issues associated with climate change as well as to examine the voting record and beliefs of the denier currently occupying the 6th District Seat. While it is great to see the Tinklenberg Campaign tackling this issue head on and not being afraid to call out Michele Bachmann for her anti-science rhetoric, I would also caution against making this issue the linchpin of a campaign in a district with as conservative a bent as the one we are in.

Over the past couple of months I have written extensively (here and here) about the local activities of global warming deniers and provided significant evidence from the comfort of my little computer to expose them as the anti-science zealots that they truly represent. While one can certainly argue the best course for solving the problem, there are elements in the ultra conservative movement that insist on burying their heads in the sand (or is it the oil) and denying that there even is a problem.

From the blog:

Today, she penned an op-ed piece in the Star Tribune stating -- despite ample scientific evidence to the contrary -- that climate change is "unresearched hype." Instead of recognizing the tough realities of the long-term challenges ahead of us, Rep. Bachmann chooses to retreat to the Land of Make Believe. Instead of working across party lines to promote bi-partisan legislation to curb global climate change, Rep. Bachmann obstructs responsible reforms and elects to cling to her out-of-touch extremist agenda.

It should be noted that on the very day that Michele Bachmann, who holds no advanced degrees in science, is denying the very existence of global warming or anthroprogenic global warming, the National Academies of Science of 8 different countries came out urging those countries to address climate change. Now I am no expert, but given the choice between believing the overwhelming majority of the scientific community that has actually studied this issue and believing Michele Bachmann I am pretty sure I going to choose the scientific community every single time.

You can go and read the full statement in .pdf version at the above link, but here is the press release:

June 10 -- Today the science academies of the G8 countries, as well as China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, issued statements urging leaders worldwide to take action on two pressing global challenges. To mitigate and adapt to climate change, nations must begin a transition to being "low-carbon societies," a shift that will require energy-saving changes in all sectors -- from housing to transportation to industry -- and the development of a range of clean energy sources. Meeting global health challenges, such as infectious disease outbreaks and the rising incidence of lifestyle-linked diseases such as diabetes, will require stronger collaboration among nations, as well as the strengthening of their health systems and health work force.

Political Muse

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